BANGKOK, Thailand – Democrat Party list lawmaker Abhisit Vejjajiva supported forming a special parliamentary committee to study the proposed 1-trillion-baht Landbridge project, warning the mega-project relies on misconceptions and poses economic, environmental, and security risks.
The project, aimed at bypassing the Malacca Strait by connecting Thailand’s Andaman and Gulf coasts via rail and road, would not yield the claimed four-day shipping time savings due to loading delays, Abhisit told parliament, adding that transit costs could instead triple.
“Awareness of the actual costs is essential; otherwise, we risk building a monument to poor decision-making that benefits only a few,” Abhisit said, noting that academics unanimously oppose the project due to irreversible threats to southern Thailand’s World Heritage sites, biodiversity, and ecotourism. The lawmaker argued the state budget would be better spent on regional motorways, dual-track railways connecting to Malaysia and Singapore, and local port upgrades to benefit all southern provinces rather than serving primarily as a transit point for foreign cargo. Abhisit also cautioned that drawing foreign private investment could force the development of petrochemical industries contrary to regional interests. (TNA)
